Great Yarmouth theatre panto announced for Christmas 2023

Nick Earnshaw plays the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, this year’s pantomime at St George’s Theatre in Great Yarmouth, and he was getting some puzzled looks from passers-by as he posed for pictures in full costume and dayglo green specs.

Mr Earnshaw, who played Captain Hook in last year’s sold-out Peter Pan at the theatre, has written Robin Hood and will direct the show, with Charlie Randall once again playing the hero.

"I absolutely love panto. It’s my passion," he said. 

"You get so much energy from the audience that you can’t help but to turn in a good performance.

"Panto is for families, and it’s often the first time a child has set foot in a theatre."

He said it was the actors' job to make it such a fun and memorable experience that they want to come back for more.

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Debbie Thompson, theatre director at St George’s, said: "Nick’s enthusiasm for panto is infectious, and he relishes playing the sort of villain that kids just love to boo and hiss at.

"His scripts are full of local and topical interest, including some references for the kids that will go straight over the grown-up heads.

"Once again, our panto will be streamed to thousands of schoolchildren around the country, which is very exciting."

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For the past two years, St George’s Theatre has worked with the Norfolk Music Hub to stream its pantomime to schools.

Rapunzel was watched by 250,000 children in 2020, and in 2021 that figure leapt to 350,000 for the live streaming of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Robin Hood is at St George’s Theatre from December 15th to 31st and booking is available now at www.stgeorgestheatre.com/whats-on.